


Sisterly Advice

by spare_animal



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azula (Avatar) earns a hug, Background Relationships, Drama, Excessive Commentary, Gen, M/M, Some Humor, Swearing, Turtleduck(s), background Zuko/Toph
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:27:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29827716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spare_animal/pseuds/spare_animal
Summary: Adjusting to normal life hasn't been easy for Azula. Luckily, she has managed to cultivate her kind, compassionate and selfless nature.Noticing that Zuko is spending too much time with a certain handsome Water Tribe warrior, Azula decides to have an honest discussion with her brother.
Relationships: Azula & Sokka (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	1. Calm before storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story focuses on Azula. Originally meant as a one shot. Set after comics.

Azula walked through the familiar palace hallways. While she was glad for not having to sneak around like a criminal, she was far from content.

She wasn't feeling ungrateful; far from it. Zuko and Ursa had gotten their hands dirty sweeping Azula's misdeeds under the rug, and they had succeeded. Being part of a...

_(loving)_

...royal family came with certain benefits, and Azula was more or less free to go wherever she wanted, as long as she stayed inside the borders of Fire Nation.

Azula had imagined her return to the royal palace to be a little different, however. It should have happened through _her_ machinations alone. A hollow victory was only a few degrees better than an honest defeat.

Still, getting out of the madhouse _had_ been a real victory. So was uncovering the truth about Ursa. _Mother._ Moments away from death at Azula's hands, Ursa had instinctively taken responsibility for her failings, even with the memories of her previous life gone. Instead of begging for mercy, she had expressed guilt of not loving Azula enough.

Over time, Azula had started to respect her mother, albeit grudgingly. Ursa had asked Azula to come back to the Capital, even though the latter had been understandably hesitant. "Your moment will come," Ursa had told her daughter. "Please come home."

 _'Your moment will come,'_ Azula repeated in her mind. Ursa's choice of words implied a triumph of some kind. Would Zuko abdicate and hand over the throne to her? 

No. Zuko had convinced himself or been convinced that he was the best choice to usher in a new age of peace, harmony and prosperity for the Fire Nation. He would most likely run the whole nation to the ground, trying to uphold whatever foolish ideals the foreign subversives had instilled in him. 

Azula kept up her angry pace. Judging by the sound of friendly chatter nearby, she knew that just around the corner, she would spot her quarry: Zuko and the annoying water tribe peasant, Sokka, walking side by side, maybe leaning into each other, Zuko probably holding his arm over the latter's shoulder, exchanging kisses, Zuko's hand finding its way inside Sokka's shirt to caress the warrior's chest... Azula had learned that the two young men wouldn't bother to hide their excessive affection towards each other in her presence.

 _Fools. I will give the board a gentle kick and see which pieces fall off,_ Azula thought.

Azula quickly caught up to her brother and the peasant. She suppressed the urge to shout.

"Zuko!" she called out in an angry whisper. "Stop at this instant! You too, peasant!"

Neither Zuko nor peasant Sokka stopped, however. Instead, Zuko nudged his forehead against Sokka's temple, whispering something to him. Only after Azula tugged at her brother's sleeve did they took notice of her.

Finally coming to a halt, Zuko and Sokka turned around to face the reasonable and rightfully concerned princess Azula. Sokka, eager to tease her, addressed her first. "Oh, hi Azula, your highness! Nice weather we're having, don't you agree?"

"Shut it. I'm not interested in small talk. Zuko, a word. Now."

 _Sheesh. I need a better ice breaker,_ Sokka thought. _I actually wanted to discuss philosophy with her. Oh well. Her loss._

"What's on your mind, little sister?" Zuko asked.

"Not here!" Azula snapped. "Over there," she said, motioning at a door leading to a small study. "Your 'friend' stays in the hallway."

Zuko sighed. "Azula, I trust Sokka completely-"

"I don't care! Look, you encouraged me to talk to you if there was anything on my mind. Well, there is now! I will talk to _you_ and you only. So, are you going to hear me out or not?"

"Very well, then," Zuko said. "Sorry, buddy. I..." he began, casting an apologetic look towards Sokka.

"It's okay. Totally fine," Sokka assured, a stoic expression on his face. "You two have a nice chat. I'll just wait here in the hallway. Again. All alone. Forgotten. Missing you. I'll be fine."

As Zuko and Azula stepped into the study, Azula shot an angry glance at Sokka before closing the door. Turning to face Zuko, she drew a deep breath, suddenly unsure on how to begin.

"You seem upset," Zuko stated, leaving out the unspoken question: _Why?_

"Upset? I suppose I am," Azula admitted. "The thing is... Do you want the entire Fire Nation to find out that you're smooching and holding hands with a... With a Water Tribe peasant?"

" _He_ has a name, you know. Isn't that why you're complaining - that Sokka is a man?"

Azula dodged the question. "You have a reputation to uphold."

"Unlike you," Zuko countered.

"What is that supposed to mean?! No, don't answer. My reputation is not under such a close scrutiny as yours. I'm not the Fire Lord. I'm not married. I'm not seeing suitors."

Azula caught herself thinking that if _she_ were to present herself as a potential ruler of the Fire Nation, she would eventually have to start seeing suitors.

"I'm not seeing lovers, either," Azula continued. "And even if I was, no one would ever know. I know how to be careful."

"If you say so."

"I do say so! What would the people think if they found out about you and... him?"

"How exactly would they find out?" Zuko asked. "I _am_ being careful. Besides, all of the palace staff members are loyal, every one of them. I trust our family, too. Unless that trust is misplaced..."

Azula lifted her chin slightly. "I am not the one who is trying to sabotage your rule. You are doing it to yourself! Understand this: your personal life affects the entire Fire Nation, whether you like it or not. It affects our family, too, including _me._ People will find out, Zuko. They're already suspicious, and I doubt they approve of you having a Water Tribe boy as a pet. Oh, and don't spend another second wondering about my motivations: I simply would prefer not to get caught between you and whatever amateur assassins that will surely come after you."

"You're overreacting," Zuko said. "Oh, wait, you don't overreact. You _exaggerate._ "

"And why would I do that?"

"For one thing, you don't like Sokka."

"Why wouldn't I like him?" Azula asked in mock astonishment. "I'm perfectly fine in having foreigners stomping around in here like they own the place. What's one more? Oh, and on the topic of foreigners: does the little lady know, or is she completely in the dark? As in, is she completely blind? Figuratively speaking, of course."

"Why don't you ask her?" Zuko retorted, his voice surprisingly calm, contrary to what Azula had expected. He had completely ignored Azula's childish jab.

"So she does know. Wonderful. And since you're not dead, you have made an arrangement with her. I suppose I should congratulate you for having a wife who willingly _looks_ the other way."

"Actually, she doesn't look away," Zuko nitpicked, enjoying it. "She actually encouraged me to-"

"I don't want to hear about it! Look, sooner or later, someone will find out about you and the water boy. The reasonable choice for you right now is to distance yourself from him, and that is exactly what I'm going to say to the council. That's what they _expect_ me to say, and-"

"Do it, then."

Azula couldn't believe her ears. "What?"

"Do it. I'm not sending him away."

"And you won't even try to silence me?"

"Azula, this is a new era-"

"Don't give me that drivel!"

"This is a new era," Zuko repeated. "A lot has happened during the time you were away. I have the support of both the council and the people. There is a new level of respect between me and them. So go on, speak your mind at the next meeting. But be sure to pick your words carefully. I wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself."

"You're bluffing," Azula stated. "Ha! You're actually trying to bluff. Well, it's better than nothing, but you should know that it doesn't work on me. I have given you a fair warning. Remember that."

With that, she turned around, opened the door and stepped in the hallway. Noticing that Sokka was still loyally waiting for Zuko, as opposed to having gone to get himself a snack, she decided to give him a warning, too. "Master Sokka. I regret that I don't have the time to discuss the weather at this moment, but I can tell you that it can turn nasty very quickly. You would do well to seek some shelter. Give Zuzu a kiss. It could be your last."

 _Well, isn't she being friendly. Someone ought to give her a bath... with ice water,_ Sokka thought as he watched Azula leave. When Zuko entered the hallway, Sokka asked him: "Should we be prepared for a storm or something? You know, literally or figuratively?"

"I think we'll be fine," Zuko replied. "If there is going to be a storm, it won't be of her making."

Zuko recounted the argument between him and Azula to Sokka. "So, instead of threatening us, she tried to warn us," he explained. "Even if she still lives for conflict, she _cares_. She was just letting off some steam. I know you think I'm crazy, just saying that. But..."

"She's your sister. And you want to see good in everyone, especially in her," Sokka finished. "But yeah, clearly she cares about you. Too bad she shows it by twisting your arm."

"She can try."

"Well, I don't like it. Although... I want to ask you something, but it's just to pick your brain. What if I really left Fire Nation for good?"

"What? I'm not sending you away, if that's what you're asking."

"Glad to hear it. The only reason I asked is your sister, obviously. You think she'll eventually leave us alone? Or will she become more, um, confrontational?"

Zuko thought about the changes he and Iroh had gone through. His uncle had shown no small amount of patience towards Zuko. So, he had sworn that he would give Azula all the time and support she would need. Or, at least all that he could. But that didn't mean caving in to her every demand.

Sokka waited patiently for Zuko's answer which came eventually: "I'm not sure. Sometimes it feels like whatever I do, she'll just find herself a new reason to give me a headache. I just wish she found something _new_ to give her a sense of purpose."

"You could introduce her to a new hobby," Sokka suggested. "Maybe she could take up painting?"

"You're a genius! You could model for her. In the nude."

"Hey, that's totally Sokka wit, not Zuko wit!" Sokka protested. "You're stealing my material, you adorable thief... Oh, wait, I just had a great follow up idea! Doesn't your mother paint?"

"A little," Zuko replied. "After she took Kiyi to the art museum a few months ago, she has finished one or two landscape paintings of her own. The one she showed me had a really nice sunrise in it. Why do you ask?"

"Your mother could teach her!" Sokka said, clearly proud of his idea. "Azula gets out of your hair, she gets closer to your mother, everyone is happy."

"Did I already mention that you're a genius?" Zuko asked and patted Sokka on the head. "You can model for both of them."

"Thank you. I- WHAT? I'll get you for that!"

Zuko grinned and tried to evade Sokka's attempts to grab him (not really). "Mercy, Sokka, mercy! I yield!"

"Man, you have had some bad influence lately... Oh, I almost forgot. You sister asked me to do something that's actually nice."

"And what would that be?"

Sokka tightened his grip around Zuko's waist, pulling him closer. He then proceeded to give Zuko a gentle kiss.

As their lips broke apart, Zuko couldn't help chuckling at the implication. "She asked you to do that?"

"Welllll, yes, but it was probably sarcasm. Probably. But you know me. I couldn't help myself."

Suddenly, Sokka turned around lightning fast, just in time to see a shadowy figure disappear behind a pillar. "A HA! I knew it!" he exclaimed. "Like what you see?"

Azula had indeed been spying on the two. She felt her face turn red as she made a hasty but noisy retreat.

_Fuck. I underestimated him. Not entirely helpless, that water boy..._

\--- 2 to 5 minutes later ---

The water boy had seen Azula staring at them _kissing_. _Like what you see?_ Fuck. There was some truth to his words, wasn't there?

No! What the hell would a Water Tribe peasant know of anyone's motivations?

But what really bothered Azula were Zuko's choice of words: "I wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself." A new era and all that nonsense. Was he right? No, absolutely not. It just wasn't possible. Fire Nation would not take kindly to the Fire Lord having a scandalous relationship with a Water Tribe boy.

But why had Zuko sounded so sure of himself? Had he managed to handpick _all_ of the council members based on questionable merits and morals? If so, appealing to the council could indeed backfire: they would take Zuko's side ("Oh, the Fire Lord is just having a bit of fun, he's earned it, blah blah blah") and Azula would be seen as a backstabber - worse, she'd be seen as a _novice_ backstabber.

Azula considered her options. What about the Ozai Loyalists?

The so called loyalists had been more or less declawed. Ozai, now sitting in a cell, belonged to a bygone era (how sad) - and the remnants were surely under observation. Azula didn't exactly trust them to be of any use. In fact, Azula didn't trust them, period. Besides, the name "Ozai" had a ring to it which she didn't particularly care for.

And what of the hardworking people (i.e. lower classes) of Fire Nation? Too messy. If Azula did manage to rally them against Zuko, they might storm into the palace with their dirty boots on - all covered in mud, or worse. An uprising carried the risk of collateral damage and was therefore out of the question.

This was not a problem that would be best solved using violence or the immediate threat of violence, something which the old Azula was very well versed in.

 _Old Azula... What a funny expression_ , Azula thought. "Old Azula" was, in fact, a much younger Azula.

Young Azula...

"But of course!" Azula spoke aloud. When Azula and Zuko were younger, Zuko had ratted her out to their mother on more than one occasion. But the tables had turned; Zuko had been absolutely _naughty_ and now it was Azula's turn to tell on _him._

There was a downside to this plan, of course: Azula would have to actually explain all the uncomfortable details to her mother. It could get awkward... Besides, Azula understood that her mother would not be as easily manipulated as she had been all those years ago.

Azula had to admit that her mother, even as a nonbender, possessed no small amount of hard earned strength, wisdom and worse, (from a practical point of view) moral backbone: while Ursa had expressed regret of the choices she had made, at no point did she try to pin _all_ of the blame on Ozai. It would have been the logical thing to do.

What really delighted Azula was the way Ursa recounted the events that led to her choice of dealing with Azulon. "Poisoning him was one of the few things me and your father did together in complete agreement. I suppose I should give him credit for going through with it, especially since the idea came from me," she had told Azula. "The man deserved his fate, even though you, I and your father may have different opinions on _why_ it had to be done."

And then, as an afterthought, spoken more to herself than Azula, Ursa had said: "I wonder... Instead of poison, I should have used a dagger. Perhaps then your father would not have _persuaded_ me to leave."

Instead of pointing out the complications of performing an assassination in such a messy way, Azula had simply nodded. Not every idea needed to be nitpicked apart.

Azula's thoughts turned toward the present moment.

_So, am I going to involve her?_

It was worth a shot. Maybe her mother would prove to be _useful._

* * *

Azula spotted Ursa - her mother - in the palace gardens working on a painting. Swallowing her pride, Azula stepped closer.

"Mother."

Upon hearing Azula's voice, Ursa immediately turned around, always happy to see her daughter. "Azula! I was just thinking about you."

Oh, really. "Well, yes, I-"

"What do you- Oh, sorry for interrupting you, but I wanted to ask you: what do you think?" Ursa pointed at the painting she had been working on.

Azula looked at the painting and sighed. "I am not exactly an expert on art, but I can say that your technique is decent; with regard to the issue of content, the optical suggestions of the spatial relationships notate the exploration of montage elements. Praise Agni for the gift of art."

The super serious analysis and the deadpan tone of her daughter made Ursa chuckle. "Oh, forgive me. You make good observations on my technique, but that's not exactly what I asked for. I just wanted to know if you liked it. There is more to painting than colors and carefully placed brush strokes. So, what I'm asking is: is there any soul in my work? Does it speak to you in any way?"

"I don't know," Azula said, beginning to sound a little frustrated. "Maybe you could add a turtleduck in the lower right corner. Look, I actually have something urgent to discuss and it involves Zuko."

"Oh." Ursa put down her brush and motioned for Azula to follow. "Let's sit on that bench over there."

Azula briefly considered pointing out that she'd rather stand, but sat next to her mother anyway.

Ursa carefully picked her words to sound as neutral as possible. "You and Zuko haven't been arguing, have you?"

Azula zoned out for a moment.

\- _Azula! Zuko! What's going on between you two?_

_\- Nothing, mother._

_\- Azula stole my training swords and dropped them into the pond!_

_\- I should have known. Azula, apologize to your brother._

_\- ( %#"@ &! ) _

"Azula?"

"No, I... It's not about that. You know who Sokka is?"

"Oh, yes, he's such a nice, handsome young man. What about him?"

Well, shit. Of course Ursa was all over the handsome Sokka, only because he was... handsome. Instead of scolding her mother for fawning over a Water Tribe savage, Azula held back her tongue and instead asked: "Have you noticed that Zuko spends a lot of time with him?"

"Hm. Now that you mentioned it, they do seem to enjoy each other's company a lot. I think it's nice that Zuko has found such a good friend in him."

"Nice? Nice?! Those two are... It's obvious that they are more than just friends! You think that's nice?!"

"You mean that they're like brothers?" Ursa asked innocently.

"Oh, Agni preserve me!" Azula spent the next two minutes explaining the nature of Zuko and Sokka's more-than-brotherly relationship and the horrible consequences that would surely fall upon the entire royal family if their relationship was made public knowledge. "So, if you care about Zuko - if you care about yourself, your husband and Kiyi and if you care about _me_ , I beg of you: talk to Zuko. Make him see reason and have him distance himself from that Water boy!"

Now it was Ursa's turn to sigh. Completely ignoring Azula's concerns, whether they were genuine or not, would not exactly help improving their fragile relationship.

"Fine. I will talk to Zuko, if for no other reason than to make sure he isn't neglecting his Fire Lady."

"That's all I'm asking. Thank you, mother," Azula said and got up.

After Azula had left, a brave little turtleduck that had been observing the conversation crawled into Ursa's view; the critter had been hiding under a fireberry bush.

"Well, hello there," Ursa greeted the turtleduck. "How long have you been listening? Tell me, what do you think of my eldest daughter?"

"Quack!"

"Yes, there is something she's not telling me... Oh, I almost forgot: would you like a piece of yummy bread, hmm? Here you go."

"Quack, quack!"

"What's that?"

"Quack"

"You do have a point. At least she is talking to me."

Ursa tossed the last pieces of bread she had been carrying to the turtleduck, who responded with a series of quacks before quickly consuming the treats.

"I love my sweet, dear, crazy little girl. Not that she's that little anymore..."

Unbeknownst to Ursa and the turtleduck, Azula hadn't wandered that far off. She had been secretly listening as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm slightly in two minds of using tags to describe the contents of a fic 100% accurately. On one hand, proper tagging helps readers e.g. in filtering out content they dislike. On the other, using too much tags can lead to spoiling the entire fic. For that reason, I've used only tags that I feel are absolutely necessary.
> 
> There won't be any kind of extreme content or super angsty stuff. As said, the focus will be on Azula with less focus on Sokka/Zuko. I should probably re-tag this fic as "background Sokka/Zuko" or...???
> 
> This fic is something of a writing exercise and a way to get familiar with the site functions and such. So, huge plot lines (e.g. how Azula came back home, the full story about reconciling with Ursa, Sokka/Zuko etc.) are pretty much in the background or in my head, with Azula's shenanigans and struggles being the main course.
> 
> Random facts: Avg. time spent writing per chapter: day. Time spent editing: 5000 years. Beta? That's what computer software is for! Computers can't make mistakes.
> 
> There will be bloat, and lots it. Most of it comes from adding characters and exposition and other background stuff rather than creating a separate fic... Hell, I should write a detailed flashback of Azula and Ursa baking 5 metric tonnes of spring rolls with awfully salty soy sauce - yuck - for the next chapter.  
> This is what you get when a one-shot mutates into a three chapter fic. :P
> 
> PS. It's hard to come up with a remotely good title. I guess it's funny because it's supposed to evoke a sense of sarcasm or such.


	2. Retaliation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more characters appear! Yay

To Zuko's surprise, Azula stayed her tongue at the next council meeting. She acted as if there was nothing unusual going on, only trading looks with Zuko, the latter giving her a respectful nod when she spoke about subjects such as Fire Nation's military, firebending schools and foreign relations.

Later that day, Azula sought out her mother again.

"So, did you finish your painting?" Azula asked.

"I did," Ursa replied. "I'm considering donating it to a charity."

This would have been a good time for Azula to roll her eyes. "So you're just giving it away for free."

"Truth be told, no," Ursa said with a sly grin. "I will exchange it for two bottles of Earth Kingdom liquor. The particular brand and vintage isn't on the open market, not even in Earth Kingdom. Noren is very fond of it."

"He is not," Azula argued. "And since Kiyi is too young, it doesn't take a genius to guess who will be drinking it."

Ursa put on a mock display of being offended. "Azula, really!" Then, she said something that Azula never knew she wanted to hear: "Please, not a word about this to Zuko."

"Oh. Agreed," Azula said, trying to digest the idea of sharing a secret, no matter how small, with her mother. Then again, if those bottles came from the hoard that had been "liberated" from the Earth Kingdom during the war... Not on the open market? Ha, maybe the bottles had been meant for Earth King himself. And now Ursa had grown fond of the stuff... Well, good for her!

"Say, are you going to make another fine piece of art?" Azula asked, changing the subject.

"I have thought about doing a portrait of you. And Kiyi, of course. The problem is, she won't stay in one place long enough. She's so energetic! Truly, I've been blessed. Thrice, now."

Azula thought that it would have been nothing but a nice thing to say, but...

Anticipating a motherly talk about how she, Zuko and Kiyi were the most treasured things in her mother's life and how she should start making plans to start a family of her own, Azula quickly changed the subject again:

"Well, good luck with her. Anyway, I wanted to ask if you talked to Zuko already."

Ursa clapped her hands together. "Oh, yes, I did!" she said, full of... joy? "It turned out that I was right: Zuko had been, well, _neglecting_ poor Lady Toph. Don't worry, everything is fine now, thanks to me... And you."

Azula simply looked at her mother in confusion.

"Yes, you," Ursa continued. "You prompted me to check on your brother, so you deserve thanks as well. As I said, everything is fine between him and the Fire Lady now. Not that they couldn't have sorted things out themselves, but I think at least one messy fight has been averted. Besides, I am entitled to meddle in my son's affairs every now and then, so I'm glad I had a proper excuse this time."

"But what about the Water peasant?!" Azula shot.

"Oh, Sokka? He wasn't the problem-"

"Gahhhhhh! I'm going now, before I PULL my hair out!"

"Azula, wait," Ursa said, her voice now more serious, but still gentle.

Azula stopped and looked at her mother, displaying a rather tired expression on her face. _What now?_

"I can see that Zuko and Sokka being together bothers you. I'm not saying that you're wrong to be concerned, but I think there's a deeper reason. Azula, I really think it would be good if you looked into how you feel about-"

"Stop. This has nothing to do with how I _feel_ about anything! My _concern_ is based on facts and the sad reality that Zuko is endangering the entire nation for the sake of _entertaining_ his little friend. Am I getting through to you?"

Ursa gave a sigh, but a hint of a smile lingered briefly on her face. "Since you're so concerned, there is something you could be doing."

Azula hadn't expected that. _Did she finally understand?_ "There is?"

"Yes. Why don't you get to know Sokka better while he's still here?"

"I... Well, that is a beginning of a plan. Once I know what makes him tick, it will be easier to deal with him."

"No! No, no, no. None of that 'dealing with him' business," Ursa berated her daughter. "You should become friends with him instead. It's always good to make new friends."

 _So they can stab me in the back later?_ Azula shrugged the thought away. "Would you please, please get to the point? If you have one, that is."

"Well, if you spend time with Sokka, he and Zuko will have less time for each other. Isn't that what you want?"

"Yes, but... Ugh. Suppose I make some sense of your plan, tell me this: _why_ would he want to 'spend time' with me?"

"You have a special way with people. And you do have something more tangible you could offer him," Ursa said matter-of-factly. "Something... very special."

Azula looked at her mother in disbelief. "I would have never, ever expected that you, of all people, would suggest something like that." _Although I should have seen it coming..._

"Is that a compliment?"

"Yes. No! Even if I... Look, you are forgetting something - someone, that is. That idiot is involved with one of the Kyoshi warriors. Come to think of it, if _she_ took better care of her property, there would be no problem. So."

"Oh, Azula, that's just the thing: she is not here right now. _You_ are, dear."

Agni's foot! Azula had half expected a lecture, warning, scolding, even a gentle request to leave Zuko and Sokka alone, anything but this _scheme_! The apple hadn't fallen that far from the tree, after all. The thought made Azula feel oddly warm. What would her mother say if Azula confessed to a murder right now? Would she receive a pat on her back?

"You have made some brilliant observations, I give you that," Azula admitted. "And that is a compliment. Now all I have to do is to figure out _your_ agenda for coming up with this particular course of action."

"What possible agenda could I have, other than the well-being of my children?" Ursa asked. "Speaking of children, motherhood is the best thing that has happened to me. It is such a great blessing. You know, I've been meaning to ask..."

"Wonderful. I really thought that you wouldn't bring up the same old topic once again. How could I be so wrong? You are a schemer..." Whoops. Azula realized that she had left a gap in her defenses. "Just like father," she hadded hastily.

"And completely unlike you," Ursa remarked, smiling. "Azula, my daughter. My sweet, dear daughter."

"Hmph. I'm going now," Azula said. Then, after hesitating for a moment, she added: "Mother."

* * *

Wishing to ensure that the unexpected ceasefire between him and Azula would last, Zuko convinced Sokka that they should limit their public displays of affection 'to a minimum.'

He didn't mention anything about the talk with his mother, though. It was obvious that Azula had something to do with Ursa suddenly displaying concern over his personal life. Try as he might, Zuko couldn't quite convince himself that Azula's meddling hadn't left a sting.

As for Sokka, he didn't appreciate Zuko's suggestion very much.

"So we're acting very maturely, now," Sokka spoke, sarcasm levels high. "I can't even pat your back if there's any chance of someone seeing us. Is that it?"

"Sokka, our relationship _is_ somewhat unconventional. And since you are not, um, an official royal concubine, I think we should be more discreet."

"Says she! Do you really let your sister control your life like this?"

"She doesn't! I really, really think that she has made much progress since her return. Look, I know my sister, and she's actually being honest with me. We should be careful, at least for now."

"Oh, right. She's being honest because she _cares._ She _isn't_ blackmailing you and she most definitely isn't trying to kill you. I guess you could call that progress."

"Yes! I mean, no. I mean... You know what I mean! And it's not like I don't _treat_ you when we're alone."

"Treat me? I suppose you do... But you should be doing more. Much more," Sokka said with a grin.

Zuko found that Sokka's grin was contagious. "Fine. Oh, what's that thing in your hair?" he asked, combing through Sokka's hair with his fingers. "Wait, hold still! Damn, I lost it."

"There's something in my hair? Ohhh, keep looking. It feels nice," Sokka replied. "Almost makes me forget your dear sister. Ohhh, that's right, don't stop now... Hey! Why'd you stop?"

"I found something! Oh, it's just my hand."

"Well, duh."

"Still feels good, doesn't it? I guess I'll look some more."

"Hmmmmm, yesss" was all Sokka was able to say.

Zuko's touch brought Sokka pleasant memories. Innocent displays of affection had grown into something much more intense. The ladies - Toph and Suki - had initially teased them with quips like 'get a room, you two.' Their reaction had been priceless when they had realized that the two young men had eventually done just that.

As for Azula, she'd better mind her own business.

* * *

One of the duties that Azula secretly liked was picking Kiyi from school (in her infinite wisdom, Ursa had decided that Kiyi should enroll in the actual Firebending Academy _next_ year). The two half-sisters - or simply _sisters_ , as Kiyi insisted - had accepted each other over time, much to their family's surprise and joy. What nobody knew, however, that Kiyi had asked (IE. forced) Azula to train firebending with her and 'how to make the blue flame.' That, and lightning bending, too.

Azula had always respected power and the willingness to use it. What was it that Kiyi had said? "You HAVE to teach me! I'm the Fire Lord's sister, so you have to do as I say, or else you go to prison for real!" Something like that _._

"I'm afraid I'm not going to prison. I am Fire Lord's sister too, you know," Azula had pointed out. "So, you can't exactly boss me around." Still, the kid clearly had her heart in the right place. After arguing with Kiyi for a while longer, just for the sake of principle, Azula had yielded and accepted to teach her 'how to do the blue flame.'

The memory brought a smile on Azula's face. She just had to admire Kiyi's determination. In addition to objecting to being called "half-sister," Kiyi didn't care for the title of "little sister" either.

Obviously, Kiyi thought that "little" meant the same as "weak." It was therefore logical of her to demand that she wouldn't be called "little sister" either. Azula had made a mental note to praise Kiyi's line of thinking.

A group of children came running through the school gates. Some of them split into smaller groups of twos and threes, waving each other goodbyes, and went their separate ways. Azula quickly spotted Kiyi among them and waved at her.

"Azula!" Kiyi exclaimed as Azula lifted her for a hug.

"Hello, Kiyi. Did you learn anything new today?"

"I sure did," the little girl replied.

"Really? Did they actually teach you something new?"

"No, I learned myself!" It was their private joke. Kiyi had again been disappointed at the pace certain subjects were being taught, especially firebending.

"So, what did you learn?"

"I can make rocks explode," Kiyi stated proudly. "Really big rocks, too. I burn it but then I make the heat go away. I do it two or three times and the rock goes BOOM!"

"That's it?"

Kiyi was confused. Didn't Azula understand how cool it was when rocks exploded? "Uh, yeah? Isn't it great?"

"Kiyi, what you did was make ordinary rocks explode, but the real earthbending masters have much stronger defenses. They can create much more solid rocks and walls that have less weaknesses." At least that's how Azula thought it went. "In real combat, you might not get the chance to manipulate the temperature quickly enough before there's dozens of rocks flying at you."

"Oh."

"Not that your discovery isn't important," Azula continued. "I'm sure you can find use for your technique. Oh, that reminds me: your mother wants to paint a portrait. Of you."

"Oh? That's nice," Kiyi said, forgetting that she'd have to be still for _minutes_. Then, seeing Azula's grin, she remembered. "Oh, noooo... I have to sit and I can't do anything?"

Azula nodded.

"But it's so boring!"

Azula rolled her eyes, knowing that Kiyi found it hilarious. "How am I not surprised... Look, it doesn't have to be boring. You could tell yourself stories to help pass the time," Azula suggested.

"About what?"

"I don't know, turtleducks on an adventure, wars, dragons, whatever you think is exciting. Mother would be really happy if she could paint a picture of you. Just think about it, will you?"

Kiyi thought about it for a moment and had an idea: she decided to negotiate. "Will you teach me the blue flame now if I sit still when mommy paints?"

"No! How many times do I have to tell you? You have to master the basic forms first. And guess what after that? Then, young firebender, then you'll spend months mastering the advanced techniques." It wasn't the first time Azula had tried to explain how much work _mastering_ a skill would take.

"I already know the basics!" Kiyi protested. "And I know some advanced techniques too. So teach me the blue flame. Come on, teach me. Teach me, teach me, teach me the blue flame! Azulaaaa..."

"Fine. But it's just as I said: It's not as easy as you might think. You see... BEHIND YOU! SHOOT IT!"

Kiyi gasped and turned around, taking a bending stance. But instead of blindly torching the school gates, she looked back at Azula.

"There was nothing behind me! You tried to trick me."

"Yes I did! And that's _exactly_ what your opponents will try to do," Azula explained. "So, don't let them. You've learned much patience-"

"I don't want to learn any more patience! I want the blue flame!"

Azula's let her eyes widen, her mouth twisting into a demonic grin. Usually, this only amused Kiyin, but not this time. "Look at your palm," Azula said.

"Why? What..."

Kiyi's eyes widened as she looked at the flame flickering on her palm.

_The blue flame!_

It wasn't quite as refined as Azula's trademark blue flame, and the color was already turning back into yellow, but there was no mistake: she could do it and she had _done_ it.

"AAH! Look! Look! It's blue! Oh, now it's yellow again... But you saw it! It was blue! How did I do it?!"

"Kiyi, put the flame out. Do it. How do you feel right now?"

"I... I feel a little tired," Kiyi admitted. "And my hand kinda itches."

"That tiny blue flame came at a cost," Azula explained. "But don't worry, you'll feel better in a moment. Breathe. Good, that's it. We took a shortcut in your training, and now you know why it's not always good idea. But we also know that you can do the blue flame."

"But how did I do it?"

"You have learned what you might call _patience_. When you combine that with the determination to destroy your enemies, you get the blue flame. Over time, it will come naturally to you and you'll be so efficient that you won't get tired at all."

"I want to do it again!"

Azula sighed and gave Kiyi a stern look. "Kiyi."

"Fine. I'll practice," Kiyi said, imitating Azula's voice. "And I'll be _patient_." She had begun to understand that to be patient was a grown up thing, and being like a grown up meant becoming more powerful. If only it wasn't so boring sometimes...

"Good. I have no doubt that you will learn to master the blue flame without any tricks or shortcuts, especially now that you have a real firebending master teaching you."

Kiyi smiled, feeling full of confidence. "What about lightningbending? Can I learn it too?"

"Yes, but it's even more difficult. It's more dangerous, too, if you can't control it. Not everyone can. Even then, it takes years to master. I, of course, mastered it in record time."

"Okay. Will you teach me lightningbending tomorrow?"

"Weren't you listening at all?!" Azula snapped, but then she noticed that Kiyi was grinning. "Ohhhh. You got me. You _little_ devil."

"No, I'm a fire devil!"

Azula ruffled Kiyi's hair. "Well, tell me, miss fire devil, what do you do if you lose control of the blue flame or lightning and accidentally destroy something valuable?"

"Apologize?"

"And take the blame and punishments? No, no, no. I know you can do better than that." That was an excellent lesson about morals: honesty gets you in trouble. Azula sure was a great role model.

"Hide?"

Azula shook her head. "No, but you're getting warmer."

"Run?"

"Yes. Speaking of running..." Azula tapped Kiyi on the forehead. "You're it!"

Kiyi didn't have to be told twice. She started chasing Azula through the city streets and alleys.

And just like that, whether Azula realized it or not, she felt like a child again, without a care or worry in the world.

* * *

Despite having his hair thoroughly caressed by loving hands, Azula's meddling was still gnawing at Sokka's ego. The drinks he had just shared with Zuko weren't helping, either. The Fire Lord was now talking to him about... something - What was he talking about? The weather? Sokka could only hear Azula's disapproving remarks in his ears. Suddenly, he could take it no more and slammed his cup, thankfully drained of its contents, on the table with a loud bang, startling poor Zuko.

"I'm not having it!" the Water Tribe warrior exclaimed.

"What? Sokka, what's wrong?" Zuko asked.

"Azula is wrong! She - She pisses me off, okay?" Sokka slurred. "Man, I should have told her. I swear, the next time I see her, I will. Firebender or not."

Zuko sighed. Clearly Sokka couldn't handle his liquor as well as Fire Nation men and women did. Or was he really that upset?

"Hey, take it easy. Why don't we put this bottle away," Zuko suggested. "Courage isn't found in the spirits, you know."

Sokka responded by grabbing the bottle and keeping it out of Zuko's reach. "Who said I needed courage?! I'm not afraid of anything!"

"Give me that bottle."

Sokka stuck out his tongue. There wouldn't be any reasoning with him.

A thoroughly evil plan came to Zuko then; he wasn't exactly sober himself. Instead of trying to put the fire out, why not add a little more fuel to the flames? Besides, a little payback would be justified.

"You're being too hard on her," Zuko said. "She's just jealous."

"Oh, phooey! I'm totally not... Wait, what? Jealous? What do you mean?"

"Her preferences might be similar to mine when it comes to handsome warriors."

"Uh, in normal people language, please?"

"Azula - likes - you!"

"What?! You're full of crap!"

"Sokka-"

"Admit it!"

"Okay, fine. I was just messing with you."

"Yeah. I could tell."

"You want to get back at her, though?" Zuko inquired, anticipating that Sokka would say 'yes.'

"Yeah! All we need is a plan. You wouldn't happen to have a plan?"

"I do. Come closer, I'll whisper it in your ear."

Sokka was glad to oblige. As Zuko explained his plan, Sokka's eyes grew wide. "Man, you're evil. Worse than her."

"That's how she made me," Zuko said dramatically. "She has turned me into a monster. So, we're doing it?"

"We're going to be dead. But yeah. Fuck, yeah, we're doing it. Summon your Fire Sister Princess Azula!"

Zuko opted to send a message hawk with a hastily scribbled note attached to its leg. Why risk sending a guard? The poor animal would come to no harm even if Azula was in a bad mood (or if she'd get in a bad mood, which was likely), as she had a certain appreciation for creatures that were predatory in nature.

After receiving instructions to track down Azula and land on her shoulder (surely the beast understood?), the feathery creature was on its way, and Sokka foretold their fate once more: "We're going to be so dead."

"Yeah. Let's finish the bottle, so it won't feel so bad."

* * *

Mai felt like all her dreams had come true. The moment she stepped into the most prestigious carpet store in the Fire Nation Royal Capital, she absolutely, positively knew that she had at last found her life's true passion.

Carpets!

Dozens of beautiful carpets were on display, waiting for their future owner. Red carpets. Big carpets. Small ones. Long. Short. Red. Yellow. More red. Orange. Black and gold. Not to mention the red carpets full of elaborate patterns - those were her favorite.

"Oh, divine carpets. Inspire me," Mai sighed as her fingers ran through the fuzzy surface of the carpets. "Show me my destiny."

What Mai didn't know was that destiny, fickle as it was, was _listening_.

Observing Mai's dreamy state, the proprietor of the store knew better than to give her the usual 'Can I help you, noble lady?' line, electing to serve actual customers instead. It was obvious that this girl was not a potential customer but yet another out of touch noble who couldn't make up her mind and who would just leave without buying anything. She probably smoked black lotus, too.

Then again, why miss a potential sale?

"Can I help you, noble lady?" the man asked.

"What? Oh, thank you, but I was just browsing."

"Very well. Please, take your time. You'll find that our carpets are the best in the entire Fire Nation. The other nations _wish_ that their carpets had the quality ours possess. In fact, we just received a new-"

"Thank you, but I'm really just browsing," Mai insisted.

 _Browse all you want, then, it's free._ The man bowed and went to serve other customers, congratulating himself that he had at least been right about Mai.

 _Who am I kidding?_ Mai thought. _This isn't working._

It turned out that carpets weren't Mai's passion after all. She was without a plan or a goal. Worse, she was still bored out of her mind.

There was a noise coming from the street. The sound of someone running? The rhythm of the footsteps sounded eerily familiar.

 _Could it be her?_ No, it was silly. It could be anyone wearing _those_ kind of shoes, anyone with a military training and-

The door swung open and the terrifying but radiant princess Azula barged in, nearly colliding with Mai.

They recognized each other immediately.

Still panting, Azula instinctively adjusted her hair.

Spirits! It was really Mai of all people who was standing right there in front of her. On more than one occasion, mostly when sleep would not come, Azula had thought about all the things she would say to Mai if the impossible happened and they would just run into each other.

Now, that unlikely but apparently not impossible moment had arrived, and all Azula could say was...

"Mai."

"Azula. Princess," Mai replied.

With just _one_ word, the awfully formal and distancing "princess," Mai had struck a blow - no, she had stuck a knife in Azula's heart, whether she had intended or not.

 _Now what do I say? What do I say?_ Azula wondered, almost panicking.

_Mai, forgive me._

_Mai, I will be honest: that attitude never suited you._

_You still haven't lost your touch, Mai._

_Goodbye, Mai._

_Mai, please..._

Before either of them could continue, Kiyi entered the shop and tapped Azula triumphantly on her arm. "You're it!"

The young girl ran behind a display shelf and peeked at Azula, expecting her to give chase again. To Kiyi's puzzlement, Azula seemed to not have noticed being 'it' at all. And who was the other girl?

"I didn't expect you to meet you here," Azula said at last.

"Me neither, your highness," Mai replied.

Not wanting to be left out, Kiyi stepped from behind the shelf. "Azula? Aren't you playing anymore? I said you're it!"

Azula glanced at Kiyi, then at Mai, who looked amused now.

"Looks like you're it, Azula," Mai said, omitting the cold honorifics. "Hello there. My name is Mai. What's yours?" she asked the little girl.

"Oh! Nice to meet you, Mai. I'm Kiyi! Are you Azula's friend?"

Azula felt a surge of hope and immediately berated herself.

"Yes. Yes, I am," Mai replied, surprised at how easily the words came. "It's nice to meet you, too. Are you Azula's daughter?"

"No, I'm her sister!" Kiyi stated proudly.

Mai and Azula swapped a glance. Mai gave another smile, but Azula was unsure as to what to make of it. When had Mai learned to smile so effortlessly?

"Are you a firebender?" the younger sister asked Mai.

"No, but I can... I know how to defend myself. What about you? Are you a bender?"

"Yes, I am!" Kiyi answered. "Azula has - Uh, she sometimes watches me bend!"

"I'm sure she does," Mai said knowingly, reaching into her shoulder bag. She pulled out a small pouch and opened it. "Say, firebender, would you like a sugar coated dried date?"

"Wow, thanks!" Kiyi said, accepting the treat. "You're the best! You really are!"

"Well, thank you," Mai said.

The dried, sugar coated date was absolutely delicious, and Kiyi thought that it would be rude not to point it out. "It tasted really good. Um, how many do you have?"

"Kiyi! It's not appropriate to beg!" Azula scolded.

"I wasn't begging!" Kiyi protested. From her face, Azula could read the unspoken accusation: _Whose side are you on?!_

Mai gave a chuckle. "I have plenty of these," she replied to the little girl's honest question. "Maybe you can persuade your sister to allow you to have some more later."

Before Kiyi could do that or explain that she could have another date and it wasn't for Azula or anyone else to decide, Azula spoke: "Kiyi, I think we should be heading back to the palace now."

"Is Mai coming, too?" Kiyi asked hopefully.

Azula fought back a smile. "I'm sure I have absolutely _no_ idea why you'd ask that, but... You know what? Maybe she could come with us. Unless you are busy, Mai?"

 _At least she's giving me a way out,_ Mai thought. _For now, at least. However..._

"I'm not really busy," Mai said. "Oh, I completely forgot my manners. Would you like one?" she asked, presenting the bag of dates to Azula.

"Uh, thanks," Azula replied, taking exactly one(1) dried sugar coated date, no more.

"Does it taste good?" Kiyi asked.

"Hm? Yes, but my fingers got really sticky!" Azula said and tried to grab Kiyi's hand. The little girl laughed and quickly hid behind Mai, much to the knife thrower's amusement.

"Careful, Mai. She might steal the rest of your treats," Azula warned.

"No I won't!" Kiyi insisted.

"Fine. I think we should get going now. Customers are staring... Come on, Kiyi. And Mai... We can catch up on some grown up things later."

Kiyi made a face. She understood that she was (unfairly) considered to be too young to discuss grown up things - whatever they were - with Azula and her 'grown up' friend Mai.

Noticing Kiyi's mood, Azula decided to cheer her up. "Maybe you can tell Mai a little secret later in the evening."

Kiyi's face lit up. "Really?"

"Yes. We can trust her with a little secret. Or two."

Mai could see that Azula had changed, if only a little. Instead of issuing commands or veiled threats, she had given Mai an actual compliment, one that was not entirely unfounded.

Of course, Azula's choice of words regarding secrets suggested that she was scheming again. The question was, how big her schemes were this time? In any case she _was_ inviting Mai into her life. For a brief moment, Mai wondered if Azula could view her as a friend rather than an underling. Either way, Mai felt that her boredom had already begun rapidly washing away.

* * *

As Azula, Kiyi and Mai made their way towards the palace, the older girls exchanged a few words. Mai had recently spent a few days at Omashu 'for health reasons,' as things had gone a bit crazy at the Capital. One of Mai's sharp tools had been found in a place where the sun doesn't shine, so she had decided to order a completely new set and generally 'just relax' for a while.

Kiyi insisted that Mai explain what kind of sharp tool had been found and where, to which Azula whispered that obviously Mai had thrown a knife at someone's butt (belonging to a dissident; Azula didn't use the term 'Ozai loyalist') and it had become stuck. Mai made a wink and a shushing gesture, implying that the story about the knife was true, down to every last detail.

The palace guards seemed to recognize Mai and made no effort to deny her entry or even ask for identification. Mai insisted that she hadn't been in the palace lately and that the guards had simply remembered her. Azula concluded that there was a possibility that Mai hadn't heard any nasty palace gossip, assuming that such gossip hadn't leaked out already.

Kiyi ran off, presumably to find her mother, but not before accepting another dried date from Mai.

Azula gestured that she and Mai should keep their voices down, or at least not talk about sensitive matters too clearly. Even without the nosy earthbender around, gossip could take off quickly in the palace. While Toph hadn't made spying Azula into her life's mission, it would still be wise to be careful.

Mai nodded at Azula's gesture and spoke: "It was nice of you to invite me. Although I'm surprised that you did."

"Thank you for coming," Azula replied. She hesitated for a moment before continuing: "Inviting you was the least I could do. Even though I haven't always treated you with kindness and respect, I... Let me start again. I have done things that... Forgive me, I must be tired, I... I find this a bit difficult..."

"Azula," Mai cut in. "It's okay. This _is_ difficult. Not just for you. Remember what the Wise Fire Sage Liǎn Zhǒng wrote: _The sun rises every morning on its own..._ "

" _But everything else requires time and effort,_ " Azula finished. "I must admit that I never gave much thought to his scribblings. I know more old sayings than I care for, to be honest."

("See that mountain? You can climb it!" - _Tuōdé Huòhuádé_ )

Azula was happy that Mai had steered the conversation towards something which she knew she could handle - expressing disdain towards ancient philosophers. She had never been overly fond of the senile Fire Sage's ancient platitudes, but now she felt an inkling of gratitude towards the mythical old fool.

"It seems he was right about something. I'm not demanding that we go through everything right now, but we have to talk things over eventually. That is, if you want to."

Azula took a deep breath. "I do. Do you?"

"I do."

Mai was the first to see the humor in their choice of words. It was as if they were exchanging friendship vows or something to that effect. She gave an amused grin, which Azula returned.

"I'm sort of glad Ty Lee isn't here to see us at this exact moment," Mai said. "Although I do miss her."

Azula realized that she missed Ty Lee too. "Are you keeping touch with her?" she asked in a casual tone, not fully understanding just _why_ she had to hide _all_ of her feelings _all_ the time from everyone.

"Yes. We've exchanged some letters. It's not the same as having her around, though."

With that Azula agreed completely and gave a knowing nod. "How is she?"

"She's fine, but she's a bit _indecisive_. On what to do and how to feel. About you, that is."

Azula had expected just that, but it didn't make the awful feeling of longing in her gut any more tolerable. "I see."

"Which is exactly why you should write to her," Mai continued. "In my opinion."

"I do value your opinion. And... I suppose I owe it to her. Do you have any suggestions as to what exactly should I write?"

"Start with the first thing that comes to your mind," Mai suggested. "You know you don't have to be fancy with her."

"In that case, I would go with something like this:

'Dear Ty Lee. I'm sorry I imprisoned you and Mai. I'm grateful that you prevented me from... hurting her. How are you doing? I miss you. Yours, Azula.'

How does that sound?"

Mai gave an approving nod. "It's straight to the point. But do you mean all that?"

"Of course I do!" Azula exclaimed. "I wouldn't lie about something like this! I..." The words got caught in her throat.

"I know what you're thinking," Mai said. "You're asking yourself: why? The answer is simple: we've been through a lot together, all three of us. It would be a waste to just throw it all away without a second thought. I happen to know that Ty agrees with me. In fact, she said that it would be 'really sad.'"

Mai's words and the mental image of Ty Lee with a sad face moved something inside Azula, and this time, she had to fight back tears. Before she could

_pull Mai into a hug_

Before she could reply, a messenger hawk swooped at the girls and circled around them. The hawk decided on Azula, apparently recognizing her, and landed on her shoulder.

"What the...? I gave you no permission!" Azula shouted at the poor bird.

"Caw!" said the hawk.

"Shut up. And don't you flap your wings at me! Pájaro estúpido..."

"Calm down! This is a good omen," Mai said as Azula struggled with the hawk. "The spirits have just blessed our renewed friendship."

Azula felt another surge of hope at Mai's words. Surely she wouldn't joke about something like that?

"You know, there's another possibility," Mai continued.

"No offense, but I'd rather not hear it."

"Oh, but I will tell you anyway," Mai teased. "The spirits may have blessed _you,_ in a way."

"Blessed? What do you mean?"

"I thought you didn't want to hear it? What I mean is that perhaps the Great Spirit of the Spring is welcoming a _new_ Fire Nation citizen into this world."

_I understand now; Mai has changed. She never really tried to get under my skin before, definitely not like this! Iroh and Zuko and mother and every idiot keeps telling me that people change. Bravo, you were right..._

Azula chose to gracefully ignore the quip. She managed to coax the hawk off her shoulder, and the beast perched on a nearby bench. "Let's see here... A message." The hawk had indeed been carrying a message (what else?). Azula quickly read the message in silence.

_"Zula_

_We can make a lasting truce now, I have a solution. And you don't need to worry about things anymore_

_come see me at the study, the bigger one, with the dragon painting once you get back_

_your brother,_

_Fire Lord Zuko_

_p.s. no reply needed, just get over here"_

"No reply needed... How very elegant." From the handwriting, Azula could tell that the letter was indeed written by Zuko. But the writing was sloppy, and the parchment had more ink smudges than usually. Was he drunk? Had he finally come to his senses, choosing to send Sokka away and was now trying to drown his sorrow with fire sake?

Had she won?

Azula had often stated that she always got what she wanted. But after the war, she had grown to admit that such notions were sometimes foolishness. Or were they? She _had_ wanted to become a Fire Lord at one point, but that hadn't come to pass. Then again, the title of a Fire Lord had become meaningless for her, hadn't it? Or had it been meaningless the whole time?

Once again, she found herself pondering the same question she was afraid to find an answer to: what did she really want?

As Azula was lost in thought, Mai reached inside her shoulder bag and produced some dried dates which she offered to the hawk. The bird hesitated for a moment before accepting the treats.

The sound of the hawk gobbling the treats made Azula snap out of her thoughts.

"Don't let him eat that! He's not-" Azula exclaimed. But it was too late. The hawk had made short work of the dates. "Great. Now he's going to have an accident, all thanks to your generosity. Would you please shoo him away?"

"Oh. Sorry," Mai said and sent the hawk on his merry way. "So, what's that letter about?"

"It's just a message from an idiot," Azula replied, not caring if Mai could pick up which idiot she was referring to. "As it is, something has come up. I need a moment to think..."

"I'll take my leave, then." Mai said.

"Wait! I didn't mean... Do you have to leave already?"

"Well, no. As I said earlier, I'm not particularly busy," Mai replied, giving Azula a brief smile.

"Would you like to see Kiyi again? She has a secret she's eager to share. It's just something that she's really excited about."

"Yes, of course. I'd like to hear it."

"Good. You can easily find her yourself. Just go to the living quarters and follow the noise." Noticing that she was still holding the note, she folded it into her pocket. "Anyway, I'd better take care of this note. That is, the business in the note. I'll see you later."

As Azula made to leave, Mai called out after her. "Azula?"

"Yes?"

"You're really great with children."

"I have a _sister_ ," Azula stated, almost adding that siblings are supposed to get along. "Kiyi usually knows to be on her best behavior if there are eyewitnesses present. The spirits know that there's enough _penance_ for me in looking after her when she's in a bad mood."

Appropriate penance, indeed, for kidnapping a bunch of children. Both Mai and Azula acknowledged the fact that the firebender had just acknowledged another one of her _mistakes,_ as she would call them, even if she had done it in a very roundabout way.

"Well, she was clearly in a good mood just now, and I don't think it was all because of me," Mai said. "Tell me, have you ever considered...?"

"No, I _haven't!_ Please don't go all mother-who-wants-to-be-grandmother on me. I already have one."

"I feel your pain, trust me," Mai said. "Pardon me for teasing you." _Not that I didn't enjoy it. Perhaps I will volunteer to babysit for her - when she needs it the most!_ "Anyway, welcome to the big sister club."

* * *

Azula wasted no time. She found Zuko and Sokka in the study, lounging on elegant couches.

_So, the Water Tribe boy is still here._

What really disappointed her was the fact that the two idiots were not only drunk but visibly in a very mischievous and irreverent mood.

Azula briefly considered leaving, as dealing with these idiots in their drunken state would hardly yield any _results_. She swore that she would give them only a moment to explain what the 'solution' was before taking off.

"Uh. Hi, Zula. Sis. How are you?"

Azula met Zuko's inquiry with silence and a look that expressed contempt.

"I see you're fine, then," Zuko said. "Sokka, would you...?"

"Okay!" Sokka jumped from the couch and extended her hand at Azula. He was holding some kind of precious item and was now offering it to Azula. "Here! This is for you."

"A gift, for me? And what exactly is that, noble warrior?"

"Uhhhhh, well, you see, uh..." Sokka stammered.

Azula sighed, rolling her eyes. _I should leave. But I will be patient for a moment longer._ She crossed her arms. "Never mind. I can see that it's a sock. And it looks like it has seen a lot of abuse during its lifetime. So?"

In Azula's opinion, a worn sock wasn't much of a gift. Obviously, the two drunks were playing Azula for a fool. It maddened her that she couldn't _quite_ guess how. What was that the mad fire sage had written? Oh, yes: _"A gift tells more about the one who gives it than about the one who receives it."_ But why a sock of all things?

"It's not just a sock, lady Azula," Sokka explained. "It's a traditional Water Tribe betrothal necklace!"

_Betrothal...?!_

"Tie it around your boyfriend's neck, then!" Azula snapped, swatting Sokka's hand away. "Do the world a favor while you're at it. Make it real tight." Azula silently congratulated herself of the excellent jab she had made. _But I should get out of here. Now. Now. Go._

"What? Oh, it's not for Zuko. I'm going to put it around your neck! With your permission, of course."

"What?!"

The impossible Water Tribe warrior then knelt down and once more presented the not-so-traditional Water Tribe betrothal necklace to Azula. "My lady princess firebender Azula, noblest and fairest of all the fiery maidens in the whole Fire Nation, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"

The fair princess gave a very unladylike yelp and took a step back. Baring her teeth and gritting them together, she made Sokka a suggestion: "Keep your filthy hands away from me."

"Is that a yes or no?"

_This... This savage! How dare he? Not without Zuko, he wouldn't!_

Azula's suspicions were confirmed as she noticed Zuko biting his lip in an attempt to stifle his laughter. "Out of my way," she commanded Sokka, shoving him to the side and stepped closer to Zuko until she came face to face with him. "Look at me. That was your brilliant idea - to see the look on my face, wasn't it? Maybe you want it to be the last thing you see?"

"Azula, wait, wait, please, don't be mad! Hear me out!"

Azula's curiosity wasn't satisfied yet. A horrible thing to admit, but it was the truth. "Make it quick," she hissed.

"Since you're worried about palace gossip, why don't you marry Sokka? No one will wonder why he spends much of his time here. And think about the diplomatic victory! We'll conquer the South Pole. Culturally and economically, that is. We'll flood them with, uh... Fire Nation fashion and cuisine and love, and... And you get a husband. That's the best part. Everybody wins!"

Azula fought the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. _Where did they get this idea from? Mother? May Agni have mercy on me and burn me to a fucking pile of ash! I should have left the city and become a wandering cleric. Ohhh, the headache..._

"Your _solution_ is unacceptable. Clever, as far as idiotic ideas go, but unacceptable," Azula spoke, once again struggling to keep her voice calm. Zuko and Sokka were in no condition to appreciate the nuances of, say, spoken and unspoken threats, but the Fire Nation princess would not lower herself to their level.

"Here is an idea of my own. I see that you're not giving up your toy. But you should give up on your misguided idealism. It has no place in the real world. For spirits' sake, it's about time you toughened the fuck up and really started ruling this nation yourself! There is more to ruling than giving orders, but you should give the order that people hold their tongues or risk losing them. Maybe you could make an example of that _supposedly_ former Ozai loyalist who's sitting in the council. Then you could fuck anyone you wanted.

But you won't do it. Once again, you fall short. You're weak. You know what's sad about that? You're being weak by _choice_. You... At least try to clear your damn head before making your next official appearance as the Fire Lord. Who knows, maybe you will sit on the throne for a few more days."

 _She said 'damn.' That wasn't very nice_ , Zuko thought.

Having told Zuko off, Azula turned around and gave Sokka some kind words of advice: "It's unwise to bite more than you can chew. Your little Kyoshi warrior might not always be there to save you. It would be a pity. She's absolutely beautiful with the makeup on." Having said that, the Fire Nation princess, still unmarried, made a bow and left the room.

After what seemed like ages, hoping that Azula was out of hearing distance, Zuko and Sokka looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"We're alive!" Sokka said.

"See? She has made a lot of progress, just like I told you."

"That, or she was in a really good mood today. Oh, fuck! I forgot about Suki. You think Azula would tell her about my 'proposal?'"

"Uhhh... No? Besides, it was just a joke."

"As if that would make a difference! I don't get bruises easily, but I do get them." It didn't occur to Sokka that it might have been wiser to worry about lightning scars rather than mere bruises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wasn't originally meant to be here at all, but I just couldn't resist including it. At first it didn't serve the story that much; it kind of just fit in. But I wouldn't remove it now.  
> I'm racking my brain on whether or not Mai is going a bit too easy on Azula. I'm going with the shitty excuse that she's grown as a person or something. I just couldn't get her personality just right.  
> Alas, Fire Lady Toph won't make an actual appearance, although she sends some greetings to Azula later. In-universe reason is because Azula keeps a distance to her, the actual reason is explained later in ch.3 end notes.  
> Flippity floppity, fuckity fuckety. What a chore, what a bore. Hippity hoppity, back to reality. That was a poem about writing fanfiction and endless hours spent editing.


End file.
